e-4694 (Employment and labour)

Petition to the Government of Canada

• We request that parental leave benefits be increased for parents of multiples (twins, triplets, quads, etc.), whether in leave duration and/ or financial compensation;
• Parents of singleton children receive separate maternity/parental leave for each child. Parents of multiples equally contribute to E.I, and therefore should also receive parental benefits per child. For example, a parent of two singleton children is entitled to two 18-month parental leaves, whereas a parent of twins can only receive one 18-month parental leave;
• The workload is often significantly increased with multiples and therefore the family unit would benefit from the secondary parent taking additional parental leave;
• Mothers of multiples have a higher risk of health concerns that require additional support; including increases to Cesarean delivery rate, pre-term birth and NICU stays, rate/severity of post partum depression, and lactation challenges;
• Parents of multiples incur additional costs during the leave period in comparison to a parent of a singleton infant. For example, the cost of additional crib, car seat, clothing, diapers and formula, as well as increased cost due to twin-specific items being sold at a premium (bassinet, strollers), and used items being scarcer; and
• The following areas already provide increased leave for parents of multiples, acknowledging that having multiples does differ from having a singleton. Non-exhaustive list: Quebec, Massachusetts, France, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Luxembourg, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Albania, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Greece, Turkey, Israel, Iran, China, South Korea, Vietnam, Peru, Afghanistan, Ghana.